About

Foodie Jasmin was born and raised in the Bronx until she was 20. She and her mother relocated to an apartment in downtown Bridgeport where she attended Housatonic Community College. After receiving her associate degree in Journalism, she majored in media studies at Sacred Heart University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in the summer of 2016.

Foodie Jasmin created www.lettuceatgood.com in February 2015. She’s been a foodie since birth. Besides eating everywhere and anywhere in the greater Bridgeport area, she enjoys writing about her food experiences and getting to know the owners, the waiters and even the customers at the tables. She wants to share her love for food as she follows her dream of opening her own restaurant, while supporting Bridgeport area restaurants along the way. Say hello to Foodie Jasmin by emailing her at lettuceeatgood@gmail.com

Why am I doing this?

I came to Bridgeport from the Bronx nine years ago as a foodie. I was used to good food in the Bronx and in Manhattan. It didn’t have to be Yelp-rated stuff – I couldn’t afford all those over-priced and inconsistent tourist traps. I sought good food that was moderately priced and consistent – no bad meals!

After my mother and I settled in downtown Bridgeport, we were clueless on where to dine. In the meantime, mom and I cooked new recipes together most nights. At the same time, I must have broken the record for eating out — flooded with food and enjoying every minute. A lot of it was within a walk or bike drive of my apartment. I looked for good food at reasonable prices — just like the growing number of millennials staking claims in Bridgeport. I surprised myself with success. The discovery process expanded to Black Rock, then other parts of Bridgeport, then to towns like Stratford, Trumbull and Monroe – the ones that don’t make the pricey Fairfield County culinary lists. I explored the local restaurants and quickly became a greater Bridgeport supporter. I’ve been wooed and won over by good meals—a foodtasic journey!

I’ve also seen lots of fine new restaurants open and too quickly close – caused by factors out of their control, like:

Poor awareness of available restaurants by people in the suburbs, even Bridgeport residents in other parts of the city

Limited funds to market and advertise – a common problem for family-run start-ups

Public perception that Bridgeport is not where you want to dine – unaware that much has changed re: safe parking, security, new apartments, more entertainment, cultural activities, and community support.

A millennial migration from unaffordable towns, such as Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, and Greenwich, to affordable downtown Bridgeport apartments, has changed Bridgeport into the new place to be. The change has been made easier by the Metro-North station, which is a walk away.

So the time is right for Bridgeport to meet the future need for more good food, and I want to spread the word. I don’t think of myself as a food expert. Rather, I’m a diner like you who happens to eat a lot and demand good food. I’ve found what I’m seeking. It can only get better.

Foodie Jasmin’s ingredients for choosing Rising Stars include:

Stability – around long enough to remember their name and address and find their website

Good food across the menu, no bad meals, reasonably priced

Good enough to go back again and bring your friends

Welcoming wait staff and visible owner; enjoying their job

Casual setting but a step above dirty jeans

Simple menu that doesn’t confuse and confound

Signature dishes that shine

Fun and friendly

Special appeal to millennials that don’t have deep pockets but go out to eat regularly